ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD OF ELECTRONIC DEVICE
An electronic device, including a substrate, an edge wire, a first protection layer, and a second protection layer, is provided. The substrate has a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. A normal vector of the side surface is different from the first surface and the second surface. The edge wire is configured on the substrate, extending from the first surface to the second surface while passing through the side surface. The first protection layer is configured on the edge wire. The edge wire is sandwiched between the substrate and the first protection layer. The edge wire and the first protection layer form an undercut structure. The second protection layer is configured on the substrate and fills the undercut structure. A manufacturing method of an electronic device is also provided.
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This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/065,641, filed on Aug. 14, 2020 and Taiwan application serial no. 110104760, filed on Feb. 8, 2021. The entirety of each of the abovementioned patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
BACKGROUND Technical FieldThis disclosure relates to an electronic device and a manufacturing method of the electronic device.
Description of Related ArtIn response to diversified applications of electronic devices, various manufacturing technologies and product designs have been developed continuously. In order to provide more diversified applications, products with a narrow bezel or no bezel have been proposed one after another. For example, a product with a narrow bezel or no bezel may be used in a spliced product (such as a spliced display panel) in addition to providing a larger functional area (such as a display area, and a touch area).
SUMMARYThis disclosure provides an electronic device that utilizes a design of an edge wire to reduce a bezel.
The disclosure provides a manufacturing method of an electronic device, which can fabricate a stable side wire to improve yield of the side wire.
An electronic device according to the disclosure includes a substrate, an edge wire, a first protection layer, and a second protection layer. The substrate has a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. A normal vector of the side surface is different from the first surface and the second surface. The edge wire is configured on the substrate and extends from the first surface to the second surface while passing through the side surface. The first protection layer is configured on the edge wire. The edge wire is sandwiched between the substrate and the first protection layer, and the edge wire and the first protection layer form an undercut structure. The second protection layer is configured on the substrate and fills the undercut structure.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the edge wire is retracted relative to the second protection layer.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the second protection layer surrounds the first protection layer.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the undercut structure is distributed along a periphery of the edge wire.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first protection layer has a thickness that gradually decreases outwardly.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device further includes a driving circuit structure. The driving circuit structure is configured on the substrate, and the driving circuit structure is electrically connected to the edge wire.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device further includes a light-emitting element. The light-emitting element is configured on the substrate and electrically connected to the driving circuit structure.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the driving structure includes a first pad configured on the first surface and a second pad configured on the second surface, and the edge wire is connected to the first pad and the second pad.
An electronic device according to the disclosure includes a substrate, an edge wire and a protection structure. The substrate has a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. A normal vector of the side surface is different from the first surface and the second surface. The edge wire is configured on the substrate and extends from the first surface to the second surface while passing through the side surface. The protection structure is configured on the substrate. The protection structure wraps around the edge wire, and there is an interstice between the protection structure and the edge wire.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the interstice is a closed interstice.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the interstice is distributed along a periphery of the edge wire.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the electronic device further includes a driving circuit structure. The driving circuit structure is configured on the substrate, and the driving circuit structure is electrically connected to the edge wire.
A manufacturing method of the electronic device according to the disclosure includes the following steps, but is not limited thereto. A conductive material layer is formed on a substrate. The conductive material layer continuously extends from a first surface of the substrate to a second surface while passing through a side surface, in which the side surface connects the first surface and the second surface. A first protection layer is formed on the conductive material layer, and the conductive material layer is patterned using the first protection layer as a mask to form an edge wire, in which the edge wire is retracted relative to the first protection layer and forms an undercut structure. A second protection layer is formed on the substrate, and the second protection layer fills the undercut structure.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first protection layer is formed on the conductive material layer by a transfer printing means.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, before forming the conductive material layer, a driving circuit structure is formed on the substrate and at least a portion of the driving circuit structure is covered by a release protection layer.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the release protection layer is removed after the second protection layer is formed.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the second protection layer is formed on the substrate by dipping, spraying, coating or transfer printing.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a method for forming the second protection layer includes performing multiple printing steps, and at least some of printed patterns of the multiple printing steps overlap.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, a method of patterning the conductive material layer includes an isotropic etching method.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, an etchant of the patterned conductive material layer has selectivity with regards to the conductive material layer and the first protection layer.
Based on the above, the electronic device according to the embodiments of the disclosure includes the edge wires disposed on the edge of the substrate, thereby reducing the bezel width of the electronic device, so as to achieve a narrow bezel design. In addition, the edge wires are protected by the protection structure and are not easily damaged. In some embodiments, the protection structure may include two protection layers, one of which is a protection layer used to define the contour of the edge wires, and the other layer is a protection layer that covers the side walls of the edge wires to seal the edge wires. In this way, the stability of the edge wires can be improved.
To make the abovementioned more comprehensible, several embodiments accompanied by drawings are described in detail as follows.
Here, a normal direction of the side surface 116 is different from the first surface 112 and the second surface 114. In some embodiments, normal vectors of the first surface 112 and the second surface 114 may be parallel to each other, but are not limited thereto. For example, the first surface 112 and the second surface 114 are respectively parallel to a X direction-Y direction plane, and the side surface 116 is parallel to a Y direction-Z direction plane. In other embodiments, components disposed on the side surface 116 may be applied to other side surfaces, for example, a side surface parallel to an X direction-Z direction plane.
The driving circuit structure 120 may include a first pad 122 and a pixel pad 124, and both the first pad 122 and the pixel pad 124 are configured on the first surface 112 of the substrate 110. In some embodiments, the driving circuit structure 120 may further include a pixel circuit (not shown in
In
In some embodiments, the release protection layer 130 may be of a thermal curing material. A means of forming the release protection layer 130 on the substrate 110 may include coating a curable colloidal material on the substrate 110 and curing it by heating. In other embodiments, the release protection layer 130 may be a photo-curable material or a photo-thermal curable material. The release protection layer 130 is of a material that may be removed from the substrate 110. In some embodiments, the release protection layer 130 may also be formed on the second surface 114 of the substrate 110 to cover a film layer or an element on the second surface 114 that is not to be damaged, such as a trace or similar elements, is not limited thereto.
In
In
In some embodiments, the first protection layer 150 may be fabricated on the substrate 110 by printing. For example, in some fabrication processes, a protection layer material may be coated or applied to a printing tool, and then the printing tool is used to press the side surface 116 of the substrate 110, so that the protection layer material on the printing tool is attached to the conductive material layer 140. Then, after the printing tool is removed, a curing step may be performed on the protection layer material attached to the conductive material layer to form the first protection layer 150. In other words, the first protection layer 150 may be fabricated on the substrate 110 by imprinting. In some embodiments, the printing tool may have a strip-shaped printed pattern, so that the strip-shaped first protection layer 150 may be formed on the conductive material layer 140. In addition, the printed pattern may be fabricated using an elastic material, such as rubber. When the printing tool is pressed against the side surface 116 of the substrate 110, a portion of the printed pattern may be pressed against the conductive material layer 140 on the first surface 112 and the second surface 114, and the protection layer material is imprinted on the conductive material layer 140 on the first surface 112 and the second surface 114. For example, during the printing process, the printing tool may move in the X direction toward the substrate 110 to transfer print the protection layer material onto the conductive material layer 140 on the side surface 116, the first surface 112, and the second surface 114. In other embodiments, the printing tool may also move in the X direction toward the substrate 110 to press against the side surface 116, and then further rotate with the Y direction as an axis, to transfer print the corresponding protection layer material onto the conductive material layer 140 on the first surface 112 and the second surface 114.
After fabrication of the first protection layers 150 in
In
The edge wire 142 may include a first wire segment 142A, a second wire segment 142B, and a third wire segment 142C. The first wire segment 142A is disposed on the first surface 112, and extends, for example, from the corner 118 of the first surface 112 and the side surface 116 toward the first pad 122 in the X direction, and even extends beyond the first pad 122. The second wire segment 142B is disposed on the second surface 114, extends, for example, from a corner 118′ of the second surface 114 and the side surface 116 toward the second pad 122′ in the X direction, and even extends beyond the second pad 122′. The third wire segment 142C is disposed on the side surface 116 and extends in the Z direction to be connected to the first wire segment 142A and the second wire segment 142B. Therefore, the edge wire 142 is a three-dimensional wire, which has a three-dimensional U-shaped structure and surrounds an edge of the substrate 110.
In the etching step of patterning the conductive material layer 140 in
The materials of the first protection layer 150 and the second protection layer 160 may include polyester resins, phenolic resins, alkyd resins, polycarbonate resins, and polycarbonate resins, polyamide resins, polyurethane resins, silicone resins, epoxy resins, polyethylene resins, acrylic resins, polystyrene resins, polypropylene resins, or other materials with waterproof protection. In some embodiments, the first protection layer 150 and the second protection layer 160 may be composed of different materials or the same material.
The substrate 110 has the first surface 112, the second surface 114, and the side surface 116 connecting the first surface 112 and the second surface 114. The substrate 110 may be further disposed with the driving circuit structure 120 shown in
In the embodiment, the edge wire 142 extends from the first surface 112 to the second surface 114 while passing through the side surface 116. The edge wire 142 may electrically connect the first pad 122 on the first surface 112 to the second pad (such as the second pad 122′ shown in
The protection structure 170 wraps around the edge wire 142. As mentioned in the foregoing, the protection structure 170 includes the first protection layers 150 and the second protection layer 160. The first protection layers 150 shield the edge wires 142, and the contour of the edge wires 142 is retracted relative to the first protection layers 150. The second protection layer 160 covers the first protection layer 150 and fills the undercut structure (the undercut structure UC described in
The interstice VD may be distributed in a scattered manner along the contour of the edge wire 142 and exist between the protection structure 170 and the edge wire 142. The interstice VD may be located between a partial bottom surface B150 of the first protection layer 150 protruding from the edge wire 142 and the side wall E142 of the edge wire 142. The interstice VD may be located between the first surface 112 of the substrate 110 and the side wall E142 of the edge wire 142. The interstice VD may be a sealed interstice and sealed between the substrate 110, the edge wire 142 and the protection structure 170. In some embodiments, when the first protection layer 150 and the second protection layer 160 are made of different materials, the interstice VD may also exist between the substrate 110, the edge wire 142 and the protection structure 170. At this time, the interstice VD may be roughly distributed between the substrate 110, the edge wire 142, the first protection layer 150, and the second protection layer 160.
For example, the second protection layer 160 may include multiple first printed patterns 162A and multiple second printed patterns 162B. The first printed patterns 162A may be fabricated on the substrate 110 using a same printing tool in a same printing step. Similarly, the second printed patterns 162B are also fabricated on the substrate 110 by a same printing tool in a same printing step. The first printed patterns 162A and the second printed patterns 162B may be fabricated on the substrate 110 using the same printing tool but in different printing steps. In other words, a method of forming the second protection layer 160 includes multiple printing steps, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The first printed patterns 162A are separated from each other by gaps, and the second printed patterns 162B are also separated from each other by gaps. The first printed patterns 162A and the second printed patterns 162B at least partially overlap. The first printed patterns 162A and the second printed patterns 162B may be alternately distributed and form the second protection layer 160 that is continuously distributed in the Y direction.
The multiple printing means may enable the printed patterns to partially overlap each other, which helps to determine continuity of the second protection layer 160. Therefore, the second protection layer 160 may truly wrap around the edge wires 142 to provide an ideal protection and blocking function. For example, the second protection layer 160 may ensure that the edge wires 142 are not affected by external moisture and become degraded or oxidized.
In summary, the electronic device according to the embodiments of the disclosure has the edge wires disposed on the edge of the substrate, extending from the first surface of the substrate to the second surface while passing through the side surface of the substrate. The circuit structure intended to be bonded to the electronic device, such as a circuit board, may be bonded to the second surface of the electronic device. In this way, the periphery of the first surface of the electronic device does not need to reserve the bonding area for bonding to an external circuit structure and be capable of a narrow bezel width or even a design having no bezel. In addition, the edge wires are covered by the protection structure to ensure reliability of the edge wires. The protection structure may seal the edge wires to prevent external moisture from oxidizing or degrading the edge wires. Therefore, the electronic device has good quality.
Although the disclosure has been disclosed with the foregoing exemplary embodiments, it is not intended to limit the disclosure. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An electronic device, comprising:
- a substrate, having a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, wherein a normal vector of the side surface is different from the first surface and the second surface;
- an edge wire, configured on the substrate and extends from the first surface to the second surface while passing through the side surface;
- a first protection layer, configured on the edge wire, wherein the edge wire is sandwiched between the substrate and the first protection layer, and the edge wire and the first protection layer form an undercut structure; and
- a second protection layer, configured on the substrate and fills the undercut structure.
2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the edge wire is retracted relative to the second protection layer.
3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second protection layer surrounds the first protection layer.
4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the undercut structure is distributed along a periphery of the edge wire.
5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first protection layer has a thickness that gradually decreases outwardly.
6. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:
- a driving circuit structure, configured on the substrate, wherein the driving circuit structure is electrically connected to the edge wire.
7. The electronic device according to claim 6, further comprising:
- a light-emitting element, configured on the substrate and electrically connected to the driving circuit structure.
8. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the driving circuit structure comprises a first pad configured on the first surface and a second pad configured on the second surface, and the edge wire is connected to the first pad and the second pad.
9. An electronic device, comprising:
- a substrate, having a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface connecting the first surface and the second surface, wherein a normal vector of the side surface is different from the first surface and the second surface;
- an edge wire, configured on the substrate and extends from the first surface to the second surface while passing through the side surface; and
- a protection structure, configured on the substrate, wherein the protection structure wraps around the edge wire, and there is an interstice between the protection structure and the edge wire.
10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the interstice is a closed interstice.
11. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the interstice is distributed along a periphery of the edge wire.
12. The electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising:
- a driving circuit structure, configured on the substrate, wherein the driving circuit structure is electrically connected to the edge wire.
13. A manufacturing method of an electronic device, comprising:
- forming a conductive material layer on a substrate, the conductive material layer continuously extends from a first surface of the substrate to a second surface while passing through a side surface, wherein the side surface connects the first surface and the second surface;
- forming a first protection layer on the conductive material layer and patterning the conductive material layer by using the first protection layer as a mask to form an edge wire, wherein the edge wire is retracted relative to the first protection layer and forms an undercut structure; and
- forming a second protection layer on the substrate, wherein the second protection layer fills the undercut structure.
14. The manufacturing method of the electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the first protection layer is formed on the conductive material layer by transfer printing.
15. The manufacturing method of the electronic device according to claim 13, further comprising:
- forming a driving circuit structure on the substrate and covering at least a portion of the driving circuit structure with a release protection layer before forming the conductive material layer.
16. The manufacturing method of the electronic device according to claim 15, further comprising:
- removing the release protection layer after the second protection layer is formed.
17. The manufacturing method of the electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the second protection layer is formed on the substrate by dipping, spraying, coating, or transfer printing.
18. The manufacturing method of the electronic device according to claim 13, wherein forming the second protection layer comprises performing a plurality of printing steps, and a plurality of transfer printing patterns of the plurality of printing steps at least partially overlap.
19. The manufacturing method of the electronic device according to claim 13, wherein patterning the conductive material layer comprises an isotropic etching method.
20. The manufacturing method of the electronic device according to claim 13, wherein an etchant for patterning the conductive material layer has selectivity with regards to the conductive material layer and the first protection layer.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 15, 2021
Publication Date: Feb 17, 2022
Patent Grant number: 11923491
Applicant: Au Optronics Corporation (Hsinchu)
Inventors: Chih-Wen Lu (Hsinchu), Hao-An Chuang (Hsinchu), Chun-Yueh Hou (Hsinchu)
Application Number: 17/376,189